This letter features reporting from “After Non-Violence: The End of Peaceful Resistance in Palestine” by Ben Ehrenreich
Dear Representative Liccardo,
I am writing to you as an American citizen who believes in justice and freedom, to bring your attention to the ongoing violations of Palestinian human rights. According to the Pulitzer Center-supported story “After Non-Violence: The End of Peaceful Resistance in Palestine,” many generations of Palestinians have pursued peaceful protest against Israeli military occupation, only to have been met with displacement and violent suppression. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency reports 5.9 million Palestinians are currently registered refugees, many still living under military control and facing restrictions on movement, home demolitions, and arrests.
Research by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International documents numerous cases in which peaceful Palestinian demonstrators have faced arrest or injury, even as Israeli settlers and counter-protestors are often not held to the same standard of accountability. According to a 2012 report by the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, roughly 500-700 Palestinian children from the West Bank were prosecuted in Israeli courts every year at that time. According to B’Tselem, with figures provided by the Israel Prison Service (IPS), at the end of September 2025, 10,914 Palestinians were being held by the IPS in detention or in prison.
It is critical to affirm that nonviolent resistance is not a crime. When the global community ignores peaceful efforts, it unintentionally validates violence as the only remaining means of being heard. This pattern perpetuates instability and deepens divisions.
As a constituent of District 16, I urge you to support peaceful protest through both policy and accountability. First, through policy reform. This can be done by co-sponsoring or supporting measures such as Defending Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act (introduced May 2023), which conditions U.S. aid on respect for international law and prohibits funding for military detention or forced displacement.
The second way you can support peaceful protest is through calling for independent investigations into civilian harm, advocating protection for journalists and aid workers, and supporting humanitarian access and ceasefire negotiations that prioritise human dignity on all sides.
Peaceful resistance must be protected, not punished. The Pulitzer Center story reminds us peace is not merely the absence of war, it is the presence of justice, equity, and accountability.
Thank you for your time and service.
Sincerely,
Sarai Zayet
Sarai Zayet is an eighth grader at Helios School in Sunnyvale, California. Sarai is deeply passionate about social justice and aspires to see history and world events through various perspectives and lenses. This is informed by her Egyptian-American heritage and experiences living in Myanmar and Egypt. Sarai also enjoys playing piano and has performed at Carnegie Hall. She combines her passion for music and politics by exploring the music of revolutions and social movements. In her free time, she enjoys reading philosophy and dystopian literature and playing volleyball.
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